Instructions ALKALINITY and LIME CONTENT

1 OFI Testing Equipment ALKALINITY and Lime CONTENT Instructions Page 1 of 5. Instructions ALKALINITY and LIME CONTENT . WATER BASED DRILLING FLUIDS. ALKALINITY is the acid neutralizing power of a substance. ALKALINITY measurements in drilling fluid testing may be made on the whole mud (designated with a subscript m) or on the filtrate (designated with a subscript f). The data collected can also be used to estimate the concentrations of hydroxyl (OH ), carbonate (CO3-2) and bicarbonate (HCO3) ions in the drilling fluid. Knowledge of the mud and filtrate ALKALINITY is important in many drilling operations.

2 Mud additives, particularly some organic deflocculants, require an alkaline environment in order to function properly. ALKALINITY arising from hydroxyl ions is generally accepted as being beneficial while alkalinities resulting from carbonates or bicarbonates may be detrimental to mud performance. The ions that are primarily responsible for filtrate ALKALINITY are the hydroxyl (OH ), carbonate (CO3-2) and bicarbonate (HCO3 ) ions. The carbonates can change from one form to another by changing the pH of the solution. Other inorganic ions such as borate's, silicates, sulfides and phosphates may also contribute to the ALKALINITY .

3 It is important to realize the following calculations are only estimates of the concentrations of the reported ionic species based on theoretical chemical equilibrium reactions. The composition of mud filtrates is often so complex that the interpretation of alkalinities may be misleading. Any particular ALKALINITY value represents all of the ions which will react with the acid within the pH range over which that particular value was tested. Anionic organic thinners and filtrate reducers contribute to a large portion of the Mf ALKALINITY value and may also mask the endpoint color change and render the test highly inaccurate in muds treated with organic thinners.

4 For simple bentonite-based mud systems containing no organic thinners, the Phenolphthalein (Pf) and the methyl orange (Mf) alkalinities may be used as guidelines to determine the presence of carbonate/bicarbonate contamination and the treatment necessary to alleviate the problem. If organic thinners are present in large amounts, the conventional Pf/Mf test is suspect, and the P1/P2 method should be used instead. Equipment - Water Based Drilling Fluids: #147-16 Pocket pH Sensor (Optional). #153-26 Titration Dish, Polyethylene #153-28 Stirring Rod, Polyethylene #153-29 Syringe, glass tip, 2 ml #153-34 Pipette, Serological, 1 ml x 1/100 ml, glass #153-40 Pipette, Serological, 10 ml x 1/10 ml, glass Reagents: #220-01 Phenolphthalein Indicator sol'n, 8 oz #230-08 Sulfuric Acid sol'n, N/50, 8 oz #240-02 Methyl Orange Indicator sol'n, 8 oz OFI Testing Equipment ALKALINITY and Lime CONTENT Instructions Page 2 of 5.

5 Procedure - Filtrate ALKALINITY , Pf, Mf 1. Measure one or more milliliters of filtrate into the titration dish. 2. Add two or more drops of Phenolphthalein Indicator solution. If the solution turns pink, add N/50. Sulfuric Acid, drop by drop from the pipette, while stirring, until the pink color just disappears. If the filtrate is so colored that the end point cannot be seen, use a pH meter and titrate until the pH of the solution drops to pH , and this will be the end point. 3. Report the Phenolphthalein ALKALINITY of the filtrate, Pf, as the number of milliliters of N/50 Sulfuric Acid required per milliliters of filtrate.

6 4. To the same sample which was titrated to the Pf endpoint, add two or three drops of Methyl Orange Indicator solution. Add the N/50 Sulfuric Acid drop by drop from the pipette while stirring until the color of the indicator changes from yellow to pink. The end point may also be taken when the pH of the sample drops to pH as measured with a pH meter (more accurate). 5. Report the Methyl Orange ALKALINITY of the filtrate, Mf, as the total milliliters of N/50 Sulfuric Acid per milliliters of filtrate required to reach the Methyl-Orange end-point. This also includes the amount of acid used to reach the Phenolphthalein, Pf, end-point.

7 Calculation, Pf, Mf (Estimation of Hydroxide (OH ), Carbonate (CO3 2) & Bicarbonate (HCO3 ) ions). Test Results Calculation, Concentration mg/liter Pf = 0 Mf x 1220 = mg/L HCO3 (Indicates Bicarbonate ion only). Pf = Mf Pf x 340 = mg/L OH (Indicates Hydroxide ion only). 2Pf < Mf 2Pf x 600 = mg/L CO3 2 (Indicates Carbonate ion). (Mf 2Pf) x 1220 = mg/L HCO3 (Indicates Bicarbonate ion). 2Pf = Mf Mf x 600 = mg/L CO3 2 (Indicates Carbonate ion only). 2Pf > Mf (2Pf Mf) x 340 = mg/L OH (Indicates Hydroxide ion). (Mf Pf) x 1200 = mg/L CO3 2 (Indicates Carbonate ion). Procedure - Whole Mud ALKALINITY , Pm 1. Measure 1 ml of drilling mud into the titration dish and dilute with 25 to 50 ml of distilled water.

8 2. Add four or five drops of Phenolphthalein Indicator solution and while stirring, titrate with N/50 Sulfuric acid solution until the pink color just disappears. If the end point color change cannot be seen, it can be taken when the pH drops to pH as measured on a pH meter. If cement contamination is suspected, the titration must be performed as rapidly as possible and the end-point is reported as the first disappearance of the pink color. 3. Report the Phenolphthalein ALKALINITY of the whole mud, Pm, as the number of milliliters of N/50 Sulfuric acid required per milliliter of mud. OFI Testing Equipment ALKALINITY and Lime CONTENT Instructions Page 3 of 5.

9 Procedure - Lime CONTENT , Estimated 1. Determine the Pf and Pm of the filtrate and whole mud as described in the ALKALINITY test. 2. Determine the volume fraction of water Fw, using the percent of water from the liquid and solids as determined in a Retort analysis. Fw = % Water by Volume 100. 3. Report the Lime CONTENT of the Fluid: Estimated Lime, lb/bbl = (Pm - Fw x Pf). Estimated Lime, kg/m3 = (Pm - Fw x Pf). Alternate ALKALINITY Procedure The P1/P2 Back Titration method is used to overcome some limitations of the Pf/Mf ALKALINITY method. A serious problem arises with anionic organic thinners, filtrate reducers and their degradation products which may contribute to a large portion of the ALKALINITY value, as well as masking the end point color change.

10 These organic materials make a particularly large contribution to the Mf ALKALINITY and thus render the test highly inaccurate in treated with organic thinners. If organic thinners are present in large amounts, the P1/P2 method should be used, but it also has its limitations. See the table below: Method Advantages Disadvantages Pf/Mf Traditional Method Interference with the Mf titration 2 Titrations, 1 Sample Bicarbonate result normally too high P1/P2 Eliminates interference 3 Titrations with 3 samples in Mf titrations Caustic measurement critical Uses a toxic material - BaCl2. Equipment - P1/P2 ALKALINITY Method #147-16 Pocket pH Meter (Optional).